Jump Start Your Heart

The American Heart Association reports that the national resuscitation rate from a heart attack is only 2 to 5 percent ­ in large part because defibrillators don't get to the victims in time.

Several airlines have now installed new defibrillators in their aircraft, and more are in the process of getting them. The new defibrillators weigh just 4 to 7 pounds. Voice prompts guide rescuers through the process of placing special pads on the victim's exposed chest. The electrode pads automatically analyze the patient and deliver a shock only if there is ventricular fibrillation, so there is little danger of injuring the patient or the rescuer.